cc.floodtide-第94节

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　〃The　length　of　the　United　States　is　more　than　the　width　of　the　river　below　Baton　Rouge。　Unless　someone　stands　at　the　helm　who　knows　how　to　mand　the　automated　systems；　the　ship　could　easily　go　out　of　control　and　swing　broadside　across　the　channel　before　ramming　both　bow　and　stern　into　the　riv…erbanks…a　barrier　that　would　effectively　block　all　barge　traffic　for　months。〃
　〃Sorry；　gentlemen；　I'm　mitted；〃　said　Olson；　smiling；　showing　even　but　gapped　white　teeth。　〃Only　after　the　ship　has　been　secured　will　I　allow　you　and　Mr。　Giordino　to　be　airlifted　aboard。　Then　you　can　do　your　thing　and　bring　that　monster　to　a　quick　halt　and　anchor　her　before　she　bees　a　menace　to　river　traffic。〃
　〃If　it's　all　the　same　to　you；　General；〃　said　Pitt　without　warmth；　〃Al　and　I　will　make　our　own　arrangements　to　e　aboard。〃
　Olson　did　not　immediately　absorb　Pitt's　words；　his　olive…brown　eyes　were　far　away。　They　were　the　eyes　of　an　old　warhorse　whose　nose　had　not　sniffed　the　smells　of　bat　for　two　decades　but　sensed　one　more　battle　was　ing　his　way。　〃I　warn　you；　Mr。　Pitt；　I　will　not　tolerate　any　foolishness　or　interference。　You　will　obey　my　orders。〃
　〃A　question；　General；　if　you　please？〃　said　Giordino。
　〃Shoot。〃
　〃If　your　team　fails　to　take　the　ship；　what　then？〃
　〃As　insurance；　I　have　a　squadron　of　six　MlAl　tanks；　two　self…propelled　howitzers　and　a　mobile　one…hundred…six…millimeter　mortar　on　their　way　to　the　levee　a　few　miles　downriver。　More　than　enough　firepower　to　blast　the　United　States　into　scrap。〃
　Pitt　gave　General　Olson　a　very　skeptical　look　indeed；　but　made　no　effort　to　reply。
　〃If　that's　it；　gentlemen；　I　have　an　attack　to　carry　out。〃　Then；　as　if　he　was　a　school　principal　dismissing　a　pair　of　unruly　boys；　General　Oskar　Olson　marched　back　to　his　office　and　closed　the　door。
　
　The　original　plan　of　landing　on　the　ship　after　it　was　seized　by　the　Army　assault　team　went　down　the　toilet　in　less　time　than　it　takes　to　tell；　Giordino　mused　ironically；　as　he　flew　less　than　fifty　feet　behind　Pitt　and　slightly　above。　He　didn't　need　a　diagram　on　a　blackboard　to　know　their　odds　of　being　riddled　with　bullets　or　blasted　into　tiny　molecules　by　heavy　firearms　were　somewhere　between　ordained　and　a　sure　thing。　And　if　those　options　weren't　bad　enough；　there　was　still　the　onslaught　from　the　Army　to　live　through。
　Dropping　onto　a　rapidly　moving　ship　in　the　dead　of　night　without　breaking　several　bones　will　not　be　a　routine　affair；　thought　Pitt。　Faced　with　an　inconceivable　landing；　their　biggest　difficulty　would　be　the　forty…mile…an…hour　speed　of　the　ship　versus　the　barely　twenty…five…mile　crawl　of　the　paraplanes。　Only　by　ing　in　downwind　of　the　ship　could　they　increase　their　airspeed。
　
　They　could　lower　the　odds　slightly；　he　reasoned；　by　flying　downriver；　meeting　the　ship　and　circling　in　as　it　slowed　while　turning　through　the　sharp　bend　at　the　old　Evan　Hall　plantation。
　Pitt　wore　yellow…lensed　glasses　to　soften　the　darkness；　and　relied　on　the　ambient　illumination　from　the　houses　and　cars　traveling　on　the　highways　and　roads　on　both　sides　of　the　river　to　guide　his　descent。　Though　he　was　in　full　control；　he　felt　as　if　he　was　falling　into　a　deep　crevasse　with　some　unspeakable　minotaur　rushing　toward　him　out　of　the　depths。　He　could　see　the　giant　ship　now；　more　imagined　than　real；　but　materializing　out　of　the　night；　the　colossal　funnels　looming　ominous　and　threatening。
　There　could　be　no　error　in　judgment。　He　fought　off　an　urge　to　pull　a　toggle　and　veer　off　to　avoid　crashing　into　the　unyielding　superstructure　and　smashing　his　body　to　pulp。　Al；　he　knew　with　dead　certainty；　would　follow　him　without　an　instant's　hesitation　whatever　the　consequence。　He　spoke　into　the　radio　attached　inside　his　helmet。
　
　〃Al？〃
　〃Here。〃
　〃Do　you　see　the　ship？〃
　〃Like　standing　on　railroad　tracks　inside　a　tunnel　watching　an　express　train　e　at　you。〃
　〃She's　slowing　down　through　the　bend。　We'll　get　one　chance　and　one　chance　only　before　she　picks　up　speed　again。〃
　〃Just　in　time　for　the　buffet；　I　hope；〃　he　said；　still　hungry　after　not　eating　since　breakfast。
　〃I'm　going　to　make　a　left　turn　and　land　on　the　open　deck　behind　the　aft　runnel。〃
　〃Right　behind　you；〃　Giordino　said　laconically。　〃Mind　the　ventilators　and　don't　forget　to　step　aside　for　me。〃
　Giordino's　resolution　conveyed　the　loyalty　he　felt　toward　his　best　friend。　That　he　would　have　acpanied　Pitt　into　the　deepest　reaches　of　hell　went　without　saying。　They　acted　as　one；　almost　as　if　each　read　the　other's　mind。　From　now　until　they　came　down　on　the　deck　of　the　United　States；　no　more　conversation　would　pass　between　them。　It　wasn't　necessary。
　
　Not　requiring　power　to　land；　Pitt　and　Giordino　hit　the　kill　switches　to　their　little　motors　to　cut　off　all　sound　of　their　final　approach。　Pitt　set　up　for　his　circular　course　and　firmly　pulled　on　the　left　toggle　in　preparation　for　a　sweeping　hook　turn。　Under　their　canopies；　like　a　pair　of　black　flying　reptiles　out　of　the　Mesozoic　era　about　to　attack　a　galloping　Sphinx；　they　swung　over　the　east　levee　and　then　made　a　tight　corkscrew　turn　toward　the　approaching　ship；　timing　their　descent　to　e　from　astern　for　their　landing；　much　like　a　hobo　running　from　a　field　onto　a　railroad　track　to　catch　the　last　freight　car　of　a　train。
　
　No　gunfire　erupted　from　the　ship。　No　shells　reached　up　and　shredded　their　canopies。　They　were　ing　in　unseen；　undetected　and　unheard　by　the　armed　men　defending　the　ship。　With　the　helicopters　down；　the　Chinese　fighting　force　was　no　longer　focusing　on　what　it　thought　was　an　empty　sky。
　
　As　the　deck　with　its　two　rows　of　low　ventilators　came　into　view　behind　the　huge　funnel；　Pitt　expertly　adjusted　and　buried　both　toggles；　causing　his　canopy　to　stall　as　he　gradually　flared　down　in　the　clear　space　between　the　ventilators。　His　landing　gear…his　legs　and　feet…lightly　touched　down　on　the　surface　of　the　deck　as　his　lifeless　canopy　collapsed　with　the　barest　of　whispers　behind　him。　Not　waiting　to　congratulate　himself　for　landing　uninjured；　he　quickly　pulled　the　canopy　and　caged　motor　off　to　one　side。　Three　seconds　later；　Giordino　dropped　out　of　the　sky　and　made　a　picture…perfect　landing　less　than　six　feet　away。
　〃Is　this　where　one　of　us　is　supposed　to　say；　'So　far；　so　good'？〃　said　Giordino　softly　as　he　released　his　harness　and　engine　pack。
　〃No　gunshot　holes　and　no　broken　bones；〃　Pitt　whispered。　〃Who　could　ask　for　anything　more？〃
　They　moved　into　the　shadow　of　the　funnel　and；　while　Giordino　searched　the　darkness　for　signs　of　life；　Pitt　set　a　new　frequency　on　his　helmet　radio　and　hailed　Rudi　Gunn；　who　was　with　the　sheriff's　deputies　and　a　team　of　Army　demolition　experts　on　the　highway　above　the　Mystic　Canal。
　〃Rudi；　this　is　Pitt。　Do　you　read　me？〃
　Before　a　reply　came　back；　he　stiffened　as　a　blast　from　the　Aserma　Bulldog　intermingled　with　the　staccato　fire　of　an　automatic　rifle。　He　spun　around　and　saw　Giordino　crouched　on　one　knee；　aiming　the　shotgun　at　an　unseen　target　on　the　aft　end　of　the　deck。
　〃The　natives　aren't　at　all　friendly；〃　Giordino　said　with　glacial　calm。　〃One　of　them　must　have　heard　our　motors；　and　came　to　investigate。〃
　〃Rudi；　please　answer；〃　Pitt　said；　an　urgent　tone　in　his　voice。　〃Dammit；　Rudi；　talk　to　me。〃
　〃I　hear　you；　Dirk。〃　Gunn's　voice　came　resonant　and　precise　through　the　earphones　inside　Pitt's　helmet。　〃Are　you　on　the　ship？〃
　Gunn's　words　ended　just　as　Giordino　unleashed　another　two　rounds　from　his　shotgun。　〃It's　getting　a　bit　warm；〃　he　said。　〃I　don't　think　we　should　hang　around。〃
　〃On　board；　safe　and　sound　for　the　moment；〃　Pitt　answered　Gunn。
　〃Is　that　gunfire？〃　the　unmistakable　voice　of　Admiral　San…decker　came　over　the　radio。
　〃Al　is　celebrating　the　Fourth　of　July　early。　Did　you　find　and　cut　the　detonators　on　the　explosives？〃
　〃Bad　news　on　this　end；〃　replied　Sandecker　soberly。　〃The　army　used　a　small　charge　to　blow　the　doors　to　the　tunnel　at　the　end　of　the　canal。　We　gained　entrance　and　found　an　empty　chamber。〃
　〃You've　lost　me；　Admiral。〃
　
　〃I　hate　to　be　the　bearer　of　sad　tidings；　but　there　are　no　explosives。　If　Qin　Shang　means　to　blast　a　hole　in　the　levee；　it's　not　anywhere　around　here。〃
　
　THERE　WAS　FAR　MORE　LIGHT　ON　THE　HIGHWAY　LEVEE　ABOVE　the　Mystic　Canal。　Portable　floodlights　and　flashing　red　and　blue　lights　lit　up　the　river　and　surrounding　countryside。　Eight　Army　vehicles　in　their　camouflage　paint　schemes　mingled　with　a　dozen　sheriff's　cars　from　Iberville　Parish。　Highway　barricades　had　north　and　southbound　traffic　backed　up　for　nearly　a　mile。
　
　The　group　of　men　standing　beside　an　Army　mand　vehicle　wore　expressions　of　grave　concern。　Admiral　Sandecker；　Rudi　Gunn；　Sheriff　Louis　Marchand　of　Iberville　Parish　and　General　Olson　looked　like　men　who　had　wandered　into　a　maze　with　no　exit。　General　Olson　was　especially　exasperated。
　〃A　fool's　errand；〃　he　snarled　angrily。　After　being　informed　his　helicopters　were　shot　down　and　a　dozen　of　his　men　feared　dead；　he　no　longer　put　up　a　cocky　front。　〃We　were　sent　on　a　fool's　errand。　All　this　talk　about　blowing　up　the　levee　is　a　myth。　We're　dealing　with　a　gang　of　international　terrorists。　That's　our　real　problem。〃
　〃I'm　forced　to　agree　with　the　general；〃　said　Sheriff　Marchand。　No　redneck；　this　man。　He　was　trim　and　smartly　dressed　in　a　tailored　uniform。　He　was